A negotiator for Mr. Micheletti, who was sworn in after Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was arrested by the military and exiled June 28, said that a new plan introduced Thursday would grant Mr. Zelaya amnesty, allowing him to return without facing arrest, as had previously been threatened.

Micheletti also offered to step down as president - as long as Zelaya offers to do the same. Charges against Zelaya include treason and abuse of authority.

But no matter how much the offer is spun as a new advance, it is unlikely to do much, if anything, to solve the crisis. A senior US State Department official had told reporters earlier that "the return of Zelaya as the elected president, and to finish out his term, is still a core tenet" of any solution.

Plus, if both men stepped down, the presidency, under the Honduran Constitution, would go to the next in line, which in this case, is the head of the Supreme Court – the same institution that supported Zelaya's ouster.

In the meantime, groups such as Human Rights Watch are urging more international pressure in the face of allegations of human rights abuses that many fear will grow as long as a solution remains out of reach.

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